Gas-begrulatoe



No. 9,327. PATENTED OCT. 12, 1852.

W. KIDDER. GAS EOONOMIZER.

[Hum-H1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER KIDDER, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAS-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,327, dated October 12, 1852.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER KIDDER, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and ImprovedGas-Economizer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,

making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section, through the center, of myimproved economizer; and Fig. 2, a view of a part detached.

Like letters, refer to like parts, in both figures.

I construct a case composed of two vertical compartments A and E,communicating with each other by means of an aperture C. I attach thelower end p, of the compart ment A, to the main by a suitableconnection, and the upper end 0 of the same compartment, to the pipe,which feeds the burn ers. The inside of the said compartment isfurnished with a shoulder g, upon which rests a valve seat a. On oneside of said valve seat is a projection 6, extending down into theaperture connecting the two compartments of the case. I suspend, by ajoint, from this projection, a lever c, by its center, in such a mannerthat its ends will vibrate freely up and down. To one end of said leverI attach a valve m, by a joint, and to the other end, by a joint, an arm(Z, which ascends up through the center of the compartment E. The valvem, which fits upon the valve seat a, is provided with a weight n, inorder to keep the valve in a horizontal position, and to counterbalancea portion of the superabundant weight resting upon the other end of thelever c. \Vithin the compartment E, and concentric with it, rises ashort tube h, from its bottom, so as to leave a space 2', between thecase and said tube. This space I partially fill with any suitableliquid. I prefer mercury, because it is not liable to freeze or wasteaway by evaporation. To the upper end of the arm (Z, I attach anair-tight inverted cup B; the superficial contents of whose bottomshould be the same as of the valve m. The edge of this cup is to sinkinto the mercury contained in the space 2', in order to prevent theescape of gas into the chamber E. I usually employ a cover f, for thecompartment E; but it should not shut so closely as to prevent a freeentrance of air into the upper portion of the compartment. I alsousually attach a small wire (or guide,) 6, to the upper end of the arm0?, to enter a corresponding aperture in the cover 7, in order tokeepthe cup B, in a central position. I usually so shape and incline thelever 0, that its counter end, as it descends, shall increase itshorizontal distance from a vertical line passing through the fulcrum ofthe said lever, while the valve m, as it rises, will be broughthorizontally nearer to a vertical line passing through the said fulcrum.The object of which arrangment for shifting the center of gravity, is tocompensate for the efiect of the buoyancy of the mercury exerted on theinverted cup B. This compensating arrangement is not necessary unlessabsolute constancy of pressure is required; and the variation ofpressure without it would be slight.

It will be seen that, whatever may be the pressure of gas from the main,the pressure on the bottom of the valve m and on the bottom of the cupB, will invariably be equal and balance each other since the gas alwayspresses on two equal counterbalancing surfaces. The counterweight placedon the counter end of the lever c, is to be suflicient to counterbalancethe whole pressure on the top of the valve m, produced by the desiredpressure of gas per square inch in the pipe which supplies the burners.Now, it is obvious that, as the pressure above the cup. B, is only thatof the atmosphere, any amount of pressure of gas above the valve 172,being additional to that of the atmosphere, will tend to shut saidvalve; and, as soon as it exceeds the pressure determined by thecounterweight, it raises the counter weight and partially or .entirelycloses the valve, and, when it becomes less than the counter weight, thevalve opens again.

The operation of the valve in practice is, to keep constantly open, onlyvibrating slightly as the varying number of burners lighted requires alarger or smaller aperture to supply the requisite amount of gas to keepthe pressure constant at the burners, however variable in number. Thiswill economize the gas as well as produce a more brilliant and equablelight. I have found by experience that, common coal gas will furnish 100per cent. more of light, when burnt wit-h a proper pressure, (which isascertained to be about ounce to a square inch-equal to about half aninch in depth of Water,) than With a much greater or less pressure; andproportionally less as the pressure. varies from that standard. The sameis true, to a greater or less degree, of other gases.

Figs. 3 and 4, in the accompanying drawings, are diagrams representingmodifications of the application of the principle in volved in the abovedescribed device; which modifications may be substituted for saiddevice.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in both figures.

A, induction pipe; B, eduction pipe; m, valve; n, counter Weight; b,counter pressure surface; it, tube forming mercury cup; 71, spaceforcontaining the mercury.

I may also add that the arms of the lever 0, are obviously notnecessarily equal in length, but may be made of any relative lengths,provided the superficial contents of the valve m, and of the countersurface B, are always inversely proportional to the lengths of theirrespective arms of the said lever.

Having thus fully described my improved gas economizer, What I claimtherein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The producing at all times a proper and uniform pressure of gas in thebranch pipe, which supplies the burnerswhich will not be essentiallyvaried by the number of burners supplied, nor by the variations ofpressure in the main-by means of the induction valve m, the vibratorylever 0, and the counterpoising inverted cup B, combined, arranged, andoperating ,Within the. chamber C, of the main, substantially as hereinrepresented and described.

The above specification of my new and improved gas economizer signedthis 27th day of Feb. 1852.

WALTER KIDDER. Witnesses:

Z. G. ROBBINS, J. S. BROWN.

